April 7, 2009

13 Behold, My servant will prosper,He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people,So His appearance was marred more than any manAnd His form more than the sons of men.15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations,Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him;For what had not been told them they will see,And what they had not heard they will understand.

First, I would just like to point out that this Servant Song can be best understood in the context of the entire book of Isaiah (and with the whole Bible, or course).

This song (a loose term, it's not actually meant to be sung, necessarily) begins with the end in mind. When Christ returns, He will be before all people and high and lifted up and greatly exalted. This provides a sense of assurance for the latter verses in which we will be told the awful things that will befall this Servant (that is, Christ). It's almost as if we're being told, "Before you hear all the horrible things that are going to happen, you need to know that it will all turn out fine in the end. Actually, it will turn out better than fine. It will all work perfectly for the glory of My Son."

The phrase marred more than any man refers to the great torture that Jesus endured. It was so extreme that Jesus would not even be recognized as human and the people would be greatly astonished.

We also see here in the midst of a clear prediction of the Jewish Messiah a glimpse of God's unchanging heart for all people. For this reason, it says sprinkle many nations. Not only would the Jews receive forgiveness salvation, but people of all nations (Praise the Lord!). The term sprinkle refers to the priestly intercession that Christ would make on behalf of all who would accept the sacrifice that is going to be explained.

Essentially though, these three verses are more about the consequences of Christ's suffering than the suffering itself. The suffering itself will be further explained in the coming verses.

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About Me

I am a young Christian who is seeking to glorify Jesus Christ with all of my life, including this blog. With this blog, I hope to share thoughts that will be edifying, encouraging, and enlightening to other Christians seeking to serve the Lord with their lives.